How Interim Leadership Turned a Vacancy into a Long-Term Solution

Highlights

• Aya placed a difficult-to-fill cardiovascular leadership vacancy with a specialized interim leader.
• The interim leader helped the system greatly improve employee engagement and Press Ganey scores within six months.
• The system regained ACC accreditation and strengthened operational performance.
• The health system converted the interim leader into a permanent staff leadership role after 11 months. 

Table of Contents

The Challenge

Aya’s Approach

The Results

From Interim to Permanent

The Challenge 

When a Northern California health system faced the departure of its cath lab manager, leaders needed an experienced replacement to stabilize a critical cardiovascular service line. Recruiting proved difficult, and previous attempts to fill the position had not resulted in a lasting solution.

Leadership turnover had created inconsistency, staff engagement was suffering and key quality initiatives had stalled. The health system needed a leader with specialized cardiovascular expertise who could quickly stabilize operations, drive meaningful change and support a long-term path forward.

Aya’s Approach

Backed by Aya’s nationwide talent network and dedicated Interim Leadership recruiters, the team quickly identified the right leader for the role. Because Aya proactively builds and maintains relationships with highly specialized leaders, recruiters had already established a connection with Rowena G., MSN, APRN, NP, and understood her expertise as well as the types of opportunities she was seeking. When the position reopened, Aya was able to quickly reconnect with her, facilitate interviews and secure an accepted offer within days.

For Rowena, the opportunity was exactly the type of challenge she seeks out.

“I saw a team that needed direction, a culture ready for alignment and a program that had room to grow.”

Once onsite, she focused on strengthening engagement, improving accountability and creating greater visibility into operational performance. Rowena introduced dashboards and data-driven decision-making tools, implemented structured daily huddles and worked closely with leaders and staff to establish clearer communication and expectations. Her vision brought much needed vision and governance to the system.

“I enjoy the challenge of transforming ambiguity into direction and momentum.”

The Results

Within months, the service line began seeing measurable improvements in engagement, operational performance and quality outcomes. Improved leadership presence and stronger communication helped increase employee engagement and Press Ganey scores within the first six months.

One of Rowena’s most significant accomplishments was restoring the program’s American College of Cardiology (ACC) accreditation. Under her leadership, the team rebuilt critical quality initiatives and operational processes that had fallen behind, creating a stronger foundation for long-term success.

“It wasn’t a matter of just submitting papers. It was about instilling the action plans necessary to keep up with the accreditation.”

The department also strengthened Joint Commission readiness efforts and earned recognition through the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® program, validating improvements in quality and patient care.

From Interim to Permanent

What began as a solution to fill difficult leadership vacancy evolved into a long-term leadership strategy.

The organization’s leaders recognized Rowena’s impact early, beginning conversations about a permanent role just months into the assignment and continuing them throughout her engagement. Over the next year, Rowena continued to build momentum, strengthen the team and advance the service line’s goals.

While her home was in Southern California and she’d built a successful career in interim leadership, Rowena decided to accept a permanent position after 11 months in the role. For Rowena, the opportunity aligned with the principles that had guided her throughout her career.

“My leadership values aligned with the organization’s mission. My approach is grounded in service, integrity, and optimism. Those three things drive to do what I do, day in and day out, may it be hard or not.”

For the health system, the conversion represented more than a successful placement. It provided a lasting leadership solution for a role that had proven difficult to fill and demonstrated how the right interim leader can create immediate impact while becoming part of an organization’s long-term future.

As Rowena reflects on her leadership philosophy:

“I focus on building strong teams, mentoring and developing leaders, and creating systems where sustained performance continues long after the work is done.”